False Reality
by ForestOfGreed
Summary: It's been three years since the end of the war and Kurosaki Ichigo's death. A new reality emerges. Rules are defied and chaos erupts. Who is there to save them this time? Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: It's been 3 years. It's been 3 years since the war ended. It's been 3 years since the death and fighting ended. It's been 3 years since Kurosaki Ichigo died. But as a new possible threat appears, questions arise. The most important being: is Kurosaki Ichigo, hero of the Winter War, truly dead?

Chapter 1

"It's been three years since the war ended. So many deaths in that war were pointless. Just as many weren't. And there are those few whose death was definitely not pointless. But they never deserved it. The harsh, cold hand of death delivered to so many. The cruel taste of death, the journey to the Sea of Souls, the memory-less rebirth, and living the life of your reincarnation, never knowing what happiness, what pain, what joy, what suffering they went through before, as their incarnation.

So many, so many never lived what could have been their full lives. So many mourned. So many who broke their promise, so many who broke their promise to their loved ones, who broke the promise of coming back safe, returning _alive_. The same promise, spoken so many times, often wasn't fulfilled.

But even as those deaths occurred, there was a beam of hope for everybody, someone who could end the pain, end the death. Everybody had rested their hope on the Gotei 13 for so long, but when they could not triumph, they turned toward the once secret beam of hope for the Gotei 13. They turned toward Kurosaki Ichigo to save them.

So when the shinigami, the fighters, returned, the citizens of Soul Society expected them to be happy, elated, joyful, and every positive emotion. Maybe even some newfound love would be seen. They thought that a parade, a celebration, would occur. They thought the death of Aizen would end the suffering. How ignorant, how foolish, how optimistic they had been. There was no such joyful celebration, no _positive_ emotions at all. Because, though the shinigami emerged victorious, though the best thing that could have happened did, the worst had as well.

Kurosaki Ichigo had died. Sacrificing himself, he used all his power to kill Aizen. When the news was announced, tears could be seen in everyone's eyes. Even cold, indifferent Byakuya, for once showing emotion, stood next to his sobbing sister, a tear trailing down from his eye. This heroic, no, he would not want to be described so, _caring human_, a stranger to most of them, sacrificed himself for a society he had known only for a little over a year.

Soul Society is still recuperating from the devastating Winter War. Even when we are fully healthy, fully healed, there will still be a scar. We will not forget Kurosaki Ichigo; we _cannot_ forget him. Years from now, I implore you to tell your children, your family, your subordinates, your elders about Kurosaki Ichigo. Why? Simply because he deserves it. You are entitled to do so. If you don't, then a chance for a lesson is gone. Remember the man who saved us all. Remember Kurosaki Ichigo." The crowd was silent as Urahara stepped down from the stage. He did this once a year. The annual event was the only time he would speak about his former student. He prepared a speech every year, as not only a reminder to the mourning souls, but as information to the newer souls, so they would understand the silence often heard in Soul Society.

There was never a set date; they thought Ichigo wouldn't want it that way. But every day, at 3:00 in the afternoon, there would be a few seconds of silence. Because that was the exact time the orange-haired vizard died.

Urahara looked to Yoruichi, who was in her human form. She rarely changed from a cat nowadays, only during these types of events or for Urahara. He looked to the young, solemn Kuchiki. She lost her best friend, and though she may not know it, her love.

This miserable, yet inspiring, event was never interrupted. Only if there was an extreme emergency was the ceremony disrupted. All residents of Soul Society were required to attend at least once during their time in Soul Society. At first, Yamamoto thought this might present a problem, but it the worry faded by the time the first event was held. No hollows attacked Soul Society anymore, though the reason was unknown. But at least one person was on lookout to check for danger. Even so, if the danger was not immediate, or the problem did not look to be serious, they were only to report and record quietly. The rule was, only disrupt when absolutely necessary. So you can imagine the reaction of the present shinigami when…

"AN ARMY OF HOLLOWS IS APPROACHING! EVACUATE THE AREA! ALL PRESENT SHINIGAMI…"


	2. Chapter 2

Summary: It's been 3 years. It's been 3 years since the war ended. It's been 3 years since the death and fighting ended. It's been 3 years since Kurosaki Ichigo died. But as a new possible threat appears, questions arise. The most important being: is Kurosaki Ichigo, hero of the Winter War, truly dead?

* * *

_**MUST READ! IMPORTANT! MUST READ! IMPORTANT! MUST READ! IMPORTANT!**_

**I've decided to slightly change what was my original plan. Normally a Bleach story has plot focused on one idea, such as time travel, amnesia, the Academy, a continuation, a new enemy, children, etc. But in this story, it will contain many different plots. I know this has been said in other stories, but those still concentrate on one major plot. For example, they might include a new enemy in a story about Ichigo going to the Shinigami Academy, but the story still focuses mostly on his life during the Academy, with not much mention on the new enemy. But I find that instead of making a new story for each idea I have, it is more efficient to intertwine them into one or two stories instead of seven. This specific chapter **_**is**_** continuing Chapter 1, but future chapters may be like a beginning to a new story, with references to previous chapters. In the end, I hope to successfully bring together the plots of all the stories to create one major overall story. But even then, expect subplots.**

* * *

_The rule was, only disrupt when absolutely necessary. So you can imagine the reaction of the present shinigami when…_

"_AN ARMY OF HOLLOWS IS APPROACHING! EVACUATE THE AREA! ALL PRESENT SHINIGAMI…"_

Chapter 2

"ALL PRESENT SHINIGAMI PLEASE PREPARE FOR BATTLE! ALL UNSEATED OFFICERS EVACUATE THE AREA!" Rukia ran off to find Ukitake. After much convincing, Byakuya had let her become a seated officer, and she worked her way up to lieutenant. Urahara, captain of the 5th division, headed to the area that was being attacked. He met up with the rest of the captains, including Yoruichi, who was captain of the 9th division, and looked toward the army. It was relatively small, and was mostly composed low-level hollows, with a few Gillians, but what confused the captains was that they were _organized_.

They approached the army and attacked. They expected it to be an easy fight. The fallen souls seemed to have no leader. But what should have been and easy win was the opposite. The captains were fighting with all they had, even their bankai, but they had only managed to destroy a few hollows. They just simply would not fall. And since the rest of the shinigami were evacuating the whole of Soul Society, they were on their own.

They cut and attacked over and over again, yet the hollows still did not fall. Only when they hit the mask at least three times would the souls purify. But there was still more than half of the army left, and all thirteen captains were drained. Urahara smiled bitterly.

"So this is how we're going down. Defeated by a tiny army of weak hollows."

"Then we'll go down fighting," Kenpachi stated proudly. Byakuya once again tried to defeat the hollows with Senbonzakura, but to no avail.

"We trust our officers to defeat these monsters?" Ukitake questioned. The captains all nodded. "Then we'll give it all that we've got, and at least reduce the numbers, if only to make their job easier."

_There are times like these when I think that Ichigo would come barging in at any second, to stop us and try to handle them on his own. Then he would surprise us by doing so. But no, he won't come to our rescue anymore. We're on our own this time. We don't have an unbeatable warrior, we never did. We don't have an invincible warrior that can save us all. We rely on our own power this time. And we will go down fighting._

And so the thirteen captains prepared for the onslaught of hollow attacks, until a voice stopped them.

"You can win this. On the side of their masks, there is a death spot. It's marked by a red and blue cross." But they had no time to ponder the origin of the voice, as the hollows had attacked. Urahara, ever the one to try new ideas, looked at the side of the masks and saw that indeed was there a cross. He stabbed and, to his amazement, the hollow was purified. Seeing this, the other captains did the same, and identical results happened. When the army was destroyed, the voice returned.

"It's good to see you guys again." The voice seemed to float, and they couldn't tell where it came from.

"Who are you?" Yoruichi asked warily. He stepped out into the open. He had a calm demeanor, but his eyes were twinkling with amusement. His zanpakuto was as long as he was tall, and he was leaning on it lazily. But what was most striking in his appearance was his head of _bright, orange hair_.

* * *

**Yeah, I know it's short, but I really was rushing this. I'm postponing all of my other stories, and trying to do the impossible-to update at least three times every week. And if you know how long it takes for me to write chapters, then you'll know I'll probably fail. But I'll try to do weekly updates, so the chapters will be relatively short, unless I have a large chunk of time. Tell me what you think on my idea up at the top. **


	3. Chapter 3

Summary: It's been 3 years. It's been 3 years since the war ended. It's been 3 years since the death and fighting ended. It's been 3 years since Kurosaki Ichigo died. But as a new possible threat appears, questions arise. The most important being: is Kurosaki Ichigo, hero of the Winter War, truly dead?

**I know Rukia is the second character, and we haven't been seeing much of her lately, but she plays a major part in the story. Of course, that's not revealed until much later, but for now, be patient. Oh, and the pairing **_**is**_** IchiRuki, just in case somebody didn't get that.**

Chapter 3

The young female vizard ran to her best friend, crying out his name.

"Jinsei! Where are we?" Jinsei, a year older than his best friend, looked around calmly.

"I believe we are in Soul Society. But it's different. More importantly, how did we get here?" The young girl had a murderous look in her violet eyes.

"It's all Sandal-Hat's fault," she said with a vindictive tone.

* * *

"Kurosaki-kun?" Urahara said, not believing the sight before him. "How-what-wher-…?" he stuttered, for once in his life, speechless. Ichigo sighed.

"I'm not really sure how I'm alive. In theory, I should be a pile of ash, like Aizen. But I'm not, obviously. All I know is that Hichigo somehow transported me to a safe place. My soul retreated into itself, and I couldn't wake up for the life of me, so I trained with Zangetsu and Hichigo for about a year, learning new techniques and strengthening myself."

"Then one day I just woke up. No warning, no nothing. And lying next to me was two swords. One was Zangetsu in his sealed state; the other was Ametsuchi. I've never seen anything like her. She's not an elemental zanpakuto, nor is she a power-type. She doesn't rely on my reiatsu to form attacks. And her attacks are different too. I can't explain it accurately. I know she's a part of my soul, but she's so _different_. And powerful. I can't even begin to describe how much her training has helped me improve." Ichigo seemed to be lost to his own thoughts. The captains were silently wondering. They had gotten over the shock of Ichigo being alive, but they were curious about this new zanpakuto. They had heard of a person's zanpakuto being two swords, but they were still one entity. There had been no record of someone with two _separate_ zanpakutos.

They talked a little more, and the captains definitely asked questions, but they were usually answered. Then Ichigo gave them a shocking request.

"I want you to seal everyone's memory of me. Including the Winter War."

"But why?" Soi Fong asked. Ichigo frowned and shook his head.

"I don't deserve anyone's praise. I may have killed Aizen, but I've been gone for three years! It's cowardly! I can't face them. There's a new threat that I've known about for the past year, and I didn't say anything!" He scowled. The captains were in deep thought. Should they do as he says? "Your memories shouldn't be erased. I'll need someone to give information to." Ukitake nodded.

"We will do as you ask. But what are you going to do now?" Ichigo shrugged.

"I don't know. I was thinking about going to the academy. With all my training, I still suck at kido." He chuckled.

"That's probably the best we can do," Yoruichi noted. "We can't have you wandering around; you might get attacked. But we still need someone there to look after you." Urahara grinned.

"I think that can be arranged."


	4. Chapter 4

* * *

Summary: It's been 3 years. It's been 3 years since the war ended. It's been 3 years since the death and fighting ended. It's been 3 years since Kurosaki Ichigo died. But as a new possible threat appears, questions arise. The most important being: is Kurosaki Ichigo, hero of the Winter War, truly dead?

**As you might have noticed, I changed the characters to include only Ichigo. The reason for this being that though Rukia is important, most of the plot centers on many different people. And the fact that this story will have about seven different plots, all going at the same time, doesn't help. Another notice is that this story is technically in the Adventure/Romance/Family/Humor/Mystery/etc. You get the point. The basic goal is to create as many genres as possible while still keeping the story good. Or at least to keep it non-crack.**

**This is a longer chapter than normal. I have just had brilliant ideas involving love triangles, squares, and the classic dead person love polygon, which will possibly in later chapters. Enjoy!**

Chapter 4

Ichigo sighed. It was his first day at the Shinigami Academy, and he was dreading his classes. It wasn't that he wasn't grateful that some of the captains took time off to teach (actually to look after Ichigo), but having Urahara teach the "Shikai and Bankai", especially with his, ah…_unique_ methods, was not the best idea. Although he was relieved that Byakuya wasn't there. He shuddered. He did _not_ want the indifferent noble to be a teacher.

As he looked at his schedule, he groaned.

_Crap._

_**/You got that right, King. Who knows what Hats-and-Clogs will do? /**_Hichigo so rudely pointed out.

_/Actually, I am guessing that he will completely skip all the usual drills and try to embarrass Ichigo in some way. /_ Ichigo always did wonder how Ametsuchi knew these things.

/Quite possible, Tensuki. Either that or he'll attack the students to get them to achieve shikai once they find they cannot hear the name of their zanpakuto. / Zangetsu added.

_And what about me?_ Ichigo asked.

/I believe the same thing will happen, and since you have to keep your power hidden, he is planning to torment you by chasing and pretend that he's trying to kill you. /

Ichigo shook his head and cut off the connection between them.

* * *

"Is this the Shinigami Academy, Jinsei?"

"Yeah, but it's smaller than when I last saw it."

"But didn't you see it two days ago, Jinsei-kun?" the girl whined. Jinsei sighed. His best friend only used honorifics when she was particularly scared or in a strange place. She suspected it was the latter.

"Kinomi, calm down. If what we saw was real, then I think we're in the past."

**

* * *

**

The raven-haired hit the not-so-innocent shopkeeper on his head, as did Yoruichi.

"You're telling me you sent those two to the past!?" Yoruichi shrieked.

"By _accident_," Urahara said, trying to plead his case. "Besides, I know what time they're in."

"Urahara, we left her with you while we fought so she could train you and the other vizards. We're in the middle of another war right now!" The orange-haired vizard was watching the display with an amused smile on his face. Rukia rounded on him.

"How can you stand there smiling!? Kinomi could be dead for all we know!" she yelled at him.

"Relax, midget," Ichigo said, using her old nickname. "Both Kinomi, and Jinsei," he said to Yoruichi. "Are fine. But you'll never believe what time they're in." He smirked.

"When?" He told both Rukia and Yoruichi. They burst out laughing. "No way! And how do you know where they are?" Ichigo raised an eyebrow and pointed upward. Rukia glared at him. "It's not fair!" she whined. "How the hell do you know so much?" Ichigo shrugged.

"Blame Ametsuchi."

* * *

Ichigo hesitanly opened the door to the "Shikai and Bankai" class. The class was talking about the new "teacher".

"I heard he's really powerful!"

"I heard it's an officer from the Gotei 13!"

"I heard it's a captain!" Ichigo was getting irritated at these admiring conversations. Fortunately (or unfortunately), Urahara chose that moment to walk through the doors. He had a lazy smile.

"Okay! In short, you'll be learning about and achieving shikai here! You'll also learn the _theory_ of bankai, not the actual skill. Since I find speeches boring, try to talk to your zanpakuto and learn its name!" A girl raised her hand. "Yes?"

"Well, how exactly do we do that?" Urahara shrugged.

"It's depends. For most people, their zanpakuto spirit forms outside of their blade, but only they can see it. It's different from manifesting your zanpakuto spirit, because then anyone can see it. In some cases, though, shinigami have a mindscape, where they can see their zanpakuto spirit and another landscape. The landscape represents their…well, mind. These people are often talented in achieving shikai and bankai, and zanpakuto attacks in general, for they communicate better with the proper wielder. Oft-" He was interrupted by Yoruichi entering with a young girl and a young boy.

"They came to me during class asking if "Sandal-Hat" was here." Ichigo snickered. "I assumed it was you, Kisuke."

"Yoruichi," Urahara whined. "Do you have to humiliate me in public?" Yoruichi looked at him incredulously.

"Of course. Where else is there? Now take these girls; they have zanpakuto."

"They're both vizards," she added, whispering. Urahara nodded. As Yoruichi shunpoed away, he talked to the two in a way too happy voice.

"What are your names?" The younger one answered in a…unique way.

"I'm Kinomi and he's Jinsei." She pulled out her zanpakuto with ease. "Annoy us and you won't live to regret it." Ichigo sweatdropped. She was like her name. Urahara looked at her zanpakuto curiously.

"You already achieved shikai?" Kinomi shrugged.

"Yeah. My dad hasn't taught me how to seal it yet. My mom says I take after him in everything but my eyes because his is always in shikai too. He disagrees and says that I inherited part of her personality. But Jinsei's dad says my personality is mixed. I really just don't care after six different people told me their opinions. The only thing they seem to agree on is that I inherited my dad's hair and my mom's eyes." The class noted that she had orange hair and violet eyes. Urahara raised an eyebrow. Kinomi could pass as Ichigo and Rukia's child. The other though, Jinsei, seemed familiar to him somehow.

"Yes, well, could you tell us how you achieved shikai? We're practicing now." Kinomi shrugged.

"Jinsei can do it too. But he has a different way to talk to Kudasaru."

"Oh? And how do you talk to your zanpakuto?" he asked Jinsei. He shrugged.

"He just appears whenever he wants to. But no one else can see him unless I manifest his form outside of the blade. It's sort of the opposite of what Kinomi does to talk to Seigetsu."

"I somehow retreat into myself and talk to Seigetsu in my own mindscape." The class gaped at her. "I was so freaked out when I was standing sideways on a building, though!" She laughed. Ichigo looked sharply at her. Why did her experience sound so much like his?

Kinomi fidgeted nervously. She knew someone in the classroom was staring at her. Not in awe, like the rest of the class, but critically. Jinsei sensed her discomfort and spoke to Urahara.

"Since we already have shikai, and have manifested our zanpakuto spirits," the class gasped. "Is there some way we can help teach?" he noticed the narrowed eyes Urahara was giving him. It was slightly uncomfortable to see his usually easy-going father with that look on his face.

"How old are you two?" Kinomi shrugged.

"Not really sure. We haven't kept track. There were more important things."

"…Sure," he said, reverting back to his normal happy voice. "You should walk around and help the students at least see their zanpakuto spirit, if not hear their name." The two nodded. As they helped the class, Ichigo leaned against the back wall and retreated to his mindscape to do some training, knowing that Urahara would prevent anyone from bothering him.

After some intense training, he woke up to see the class staring fearfully at him. And Urahara looking apologetic.

"What?" One of his classmates answered.

"Y-you were asleep, so I tried to wake you up, b-but you had a weird shield around you and n-no one could touch you." Ichigo's eyes widened. He knew that Ametsuchi had a weak shield, but it usually only repelled hollows. He cursed. Has his strength really grown that much?

He looked around. Everyone was staring at him, but what was odd was that the two new students, Kinomi and Jinsei, were looking at him in surprise, while the rest of the class, except for Urahara, was staring at him in fear and confusion. He dismissed it as simply misinterpreting expressions.

"That was an extremely strong barrier, Kurosaki-kun. No attacks could get through. In fact, the shield would give slight pain to the attacker. And it masked your reiatsu perfectly. Were it not for the fact that you were sitting right there in front of our eyes, we would not be able to tell you were there." Urahara said slightly accusingly. But what really worried Ichigo was the mystery that was Ametsuchi. This was the fourth time she had done something powerfully abnormal.

* * *

Kinomi was calculating. She and Jinsei were in the past, standing in front of a perfect replica of her father. She was trying to figure out what time they were in, and sifting through all the stories her father and mother told her about their life. Ichigo gaining his powers…Rukia being captured…Aizen's betrayal…ah, when did Ichigo get Ametsuchi!?

Jinsei was doing the same thing, but he had fewer memories to search, so he came to the answer faster than Kinomi.

"This is the beginning of the Impossible War," he whispered to Kinomi. Her eyes widened, and amusement filled them. "What?" he asked. She pulled him aside.

"Don't you remember? This is the time all those romance problems for everyone came, especially for _our_ parents." Jinsei looked at her reproachfully.

"But don't you remember all those disasters? The barrier collapsed, the eaten souls returned, and a whole bunch of other stuff happened. Although it is gonna be funny to see Uncle Hitsugaya and Aunt Hinamori (1) on his birthday." The both chuckled. They were about to witness some of the stories their parents told.

* * *

The two spirits opened their eyes. The younger one turned to the other.

"Whe-where am I? I saw my son run across the street, and I pushed him out of the way. I don't remember anything after that," she told the older woman.

The older spirit looked at her calmly.

"Do not worry. You are in Soul Society. Technically, you are dead. But you can live on in Soul Society. And you will have a better life than most if you come with me to find my husband, a noble."

"Who is your husband?"

"Kuchiki Byakuya. You mentioned you had a son. Did you have a husband?" The younger woman nodded.

"Yes. His name was Kurosaki Isshin."

* * *

(1) Jinsei and Kinomi call most of the friends of their parents Aunt or Uncle.


	5. Chapter 5

Summary: It's been 3 years. It's been 3 years since the war ended. It's been 3 years since the death and fighting ended. It's been 3 years since Kurosaki Ichigo died. But as a new possible threat appears, questions arise. The most important being: is Kurosaki Ichigo, hero of the Winter War, truly dead?

* * *

**Double Update! Since I'll most likely not be able to update tomorrow (I really don't like school), I hope this satisfies you. Not really that long, and Chapter 4 was better, but be happy that I took the time to type this! It's pretty much filler, though. But Masaki and Hisana appear!**

Chapter 12

Rukia could not believe it. She had arrived at the Shinigami Academy, hoping to talk to Ukitake. But instead she saw Urahara sparring with a certain orange-haired strawberry. Kurosaki Ichigo, who was supposed to be dead, was obviously not, and _matching_ Urahara in zanjutsu.

"ICHIGO!!? How-what-why-huh?" But she was ignored as Ichigo hit Urahara over the head.

"I thought you guys agreed you would erase their memories!" Urahara hid his smile behind his fan.

"Well…we kind of half-lied. We sealed away the memories of the students, teachers, and pretty much all of Rukongai, so you wouldn't be recognized. But we left Seireitei alone."

"I-" But he was interrupted as he felt a punch to the gut he knew all too well.

"Idiot! You were planning to make us forget you? I would kill you right now if I weren't so happy to see you!" Ichigo groaned.

"Nice to see you too, Rukia." Maybe it was the shock of seeing each other again, or maybe it was the longing for familiarity. But just like that, they went back to their usual arguing. They were so wrapped up in their yelling; that not even Ichigo noticed that Yoruichi had shunpoed there. Nor did he notice Zangetsu and Ametsuchi materialize outside of their blades, as did Sode no Shirayuki. Then Renji came, shouting for Rukia, but they still didn't respond. Deciding to watch the argument rather than stop it, he and Yoruichi quickly shunpoed and invited many of their friends to come watch. Pretty soon, most of the Gotei 13, except those, who were on duty or just didn't care, had gathered. Then, Kinomi and Jinsei arrived.

"What's going on?" Jinsei asked Yoruichi.

"Ichigo and Rukia are having one of their famous fights. Some of us used to sell tickets to these things, but since this is the first time they've seen Ichigo for a long time, so it's free." Kinomi, much like her Aunt Karin, was often one to take advantage of anything involving money. But unlike Karin, she was the one to collect bets.

"Bets on how the fight ends and what happens after it!" she called out. Jinsei, her partner in crime, did the same. Those unfamiliar with the fights before they became famous bet it would end with Ichigo give in to Rukia. Those that were closer to the two guessed it would end with Rukia somehow hurting Ichigo physically and walking away. Then Ichigo would catch up to her, notice they were being watched, and act like nothing happened. But no one could have guessed how it really ended.

"I was in a coma for a year!" Ichigo yelled.

"So? Why didn't you find us when you woke up?!'

"I was in the middle of nowhere. I wasn't even in Hueco Mundo anymore! I only just figured out how to get back!"

"Do you know how much you made Orihime cry!? Do you know how much we were suffering!? DON'T YOU KNOW ABOUT THE CEREMONY WE HOLD EVERY YEAR!!?" The fight was reaching its climax.

"OF COURSE I DO!? BUT I JUST FOUND OUT _TODAY_! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I WISH THEY NEVER HAPPENED!?"

"Ugh! You-" But a light, sweet voice stopped Rukia from continuing.

"Excuse me. Do you know where the Kuchiki noble house is?" it asked from behind the crowd. They all turned around, and quite a few gasped. Byakuya, who had been there to watch over Rukia, was speechless. He could only utter one word.

"Hisana." Rukia abruptly turned to see her brother staring at her supposed-to-be dead sister. She was about to go over to them, but Ichigo said something as well.

"Mom?" he whispered. This shocked Rukia even more. The Grand Fisher ate Ichigo's mother. How could she be alive? She then noticed a small woman standing slightly behind her sister.

"Ichigo?" she asked. He nodded, not needing to know the rest of her words. "Should we get your family?" He nodded once again, not ready to speak. But before Rukia left he grabbed her arm.

"No, wait. It'll be faster if I just get us there." Rukia was confused, but agreed. They disappeared, and no one noticed them until they appeared in the same place that they left, except this time with Isshin, Karin, and Yuzu. The three were still in shock at seeing Ichigo, so as Ichigo and Rukia slowly managed to calm them, they caught sight of Masaki. Yuzu started to break down into tears, and Kinomi, who was by her at the time, hugged her and sang a lullaby _her_ mother used to sing when she was little. Though Yuzu didn't know this girl, she felt safe, and felt like she was family.

But Kinomi was holding back tears as well. She had been since the whole group gathered. Because standing in the group were some of her closest friends who had died in the war. She was much younger than most of them, but besides Jinsei, she had no one to talk to. Jinsei was going through the same predicament.

Karin was shocked still. She couldn't move, couldn't run to her mother like she wanted to, because her brain still wasn't registering all the facts. Ichigo was alive, he was powerful, her mother was alive, and so was Rukia's sister.

"Masaki?" Isshin managed to say, louder than Byakuya and Ichigo's words. Masaki looked to them with tears in her eyes, But they were not tears of happiness, because, based on what Hisana had told her, this meant her family was dead.

"What? But," she turned toward Hisana. "Doesn't this mean they're dead?" Hisana slowly nodded. But she was not so sure. She couldn't be, for her husband had started to walk toward her. He gave her a look that said _we will talk later_. Byakuya spoke.

"Soul Society has changed since your absence. Though Kurosaki Ichigo's family is in spirit form, they are not dead. We have preserved the body of Kurosaki Ichigo, so he can still use it. The rest of his family has just been converted into spiritrons, and I assume he can change them back?" Ichigo nodded. "We've just recently gone through a war. Soul Society is still recovering from the damage Aizen has done. But hopefully, now that Kurosaki Ichigo has returned, we will recover quickly."

"Excuse me, Kuchiki-sama. But why do you call my family my son's family? It is his family, but why not simply say 'your family'? And how can my son help in any way?" Byakuya looked at her with a slight look of pity. He could afford to be emotional today.

"I cannot give you the full details on everything that has happened, but I can tell you the most recent events. Kurosaki Ichigo," he gestured for Ichigo to step forward. "Received shinigami," Masaki nodded. Hisana told her about shinigami and hollows. "Abilities from Kuchiki Rukia," Byakuya motioned to his sister to stand next to Ichigo. "And was charged with the task of a Substitute shinigami. Rukia was condemned to murder for doing so. After she was captured, Kurosaki Ichigo, along with his friends, Ishida Uryuu, Yasutora Sado, Inoue Orihime, and Shihouin Yoruichi, invaded Seireitei to rescue her. They succeeded in doing so, and also revealed Sousuke Aizen, Ichimaru Gin, and Kaname Tousen as traitors. After a long series of events, including the kidnapping of Inoue Orihime, twice, Aizen was defeated and killed by Kurosaki Ichigo, he being the only one strong enough to fight him. We believed him to be dead after sacrificing himself to kill Aizen, but as you can see, he is alive, and one of the strongest shinigami in Soul Society, possibly the second strongest." Masaki looked at him horrified that her son was in _war_. He was only a teenager! She asked a very simple question, not knowing the story that came with it, and still trying to deny the truth.

"Why?"

* * *


	6. Chapter 6

Summary: It's been 3 years. It's been 3 years since the war ended. It's been 3 years since the death and fighting ended. It's been 3 years since Kurosaki Ichigo died. But as a new possible threat appears, questions arise. The most important being: is Kurosaki Ichigo, hero of the Winter War, truly dead?

* * *

Chapter 4

"Why?" Masaki repeated. "Why did you do all that, Ichigo?" She spoke to her son. For a second, Ichigo disappeared. But a minute later, he returned with all of his friends. Orihime, Uryuu, Chad, Keigo, Mizuiro, and Tatsuki were looking around, confused. Tatsuki, after getting over her shock started yelling.

"What the hell, Ichigo!" Masaki raised an eyebrow.

"Who are they?" Tatsuki turned snapped her head toward the woman. Her eyes widened.

"Wait, but-yo-hollow?" Ichigo stared at his mother. Masaki ignored the newcomers.

"Anyway, before you ran off, I was asking why you participated in that dangerous war! Don't you know you could get killed?"

"I knew. We all knew." Kinomi looked at her father's calm, indifferent mask, recognizing it as Ametsuchi's doing.

"Then why did you do it?" Masaki asked exasperatedly. "Was it for the glory, the fame? Or was it for the thrill of fighting? Or maybe you were trying to prove yourself? You never needed to, honey. We all love you, you never needed to prove your worth," she cooed lovingly. But there was no reaction from Ichigo, save the narrowing of his eyes and the rising reiatsu.

"Do you really think I did it for myself?" he asked in a low voice.

"Of course! Unless they forced you. What! Did they force you?" Masaki asked in a worried voice. "We'll go away from here if they did, honey. We'll go away from this so-called Soul Society. We'll leave these monsters." Ichigo looked at her in disgust.

"Can you think of no other reason to fight for?"

"No. There _is_ no other reason, besides love. But you didn't do it for love, did you?" Ichigo looked at her angrily.

"Is that all you can think of!? Selfish reasons? They aren't the only reason! You want to know what I did it for? My _friends_. Soul Society isn't made up of monsters. You _are_. You don't belong here, _mom_." He spat the word. "I thought you were sweet, selfless. But that was just a mask. I was wrong in thinking that you could be that caring. You may think that we can only care for ourselves, but you know what? I only fought in that war for my friends."

"Are your friends as important as your life?" Masaki begged.

"…No." Masaki had a smug smile. But it was soon wiped off. "They much more important than it." Tatsuki spoke up.

"You are not the same person as before. It is unlikely you will be soon. But if you cannot even understand our reasons for fighting in that war, then you will not even be able to achieve the first step into becoming who you used to be." The whole group of friends looked at each other, and knowing what everyone needed at that time, they nodded.

"Rukia," Ichigo said softly. "You can stay if you want to talk to Hisana." Rukia nodded her head.

"She and Nii-sama need to talk. I'll come with you." She walked with her friends to the Kuchiki estate.

* * *

Kinomi and Jinsei, curious, followed them.

The group walked to a small area decorated with cherry blossom trees, a few boulders used for landscaping, and a flowing hot spring with a small waterfall, probably used as decoration.

_Holy shit, mom is _rich_!_ Kinomi thought.

* * *

As if by instinct, the group formed an extremely loose circular shape. It was by no means a perfect circle, but it just seemed…_natural_, like it _was_ perfect, in it's own way. Chad and Keigo sat lazily on some flat-topped boulders, and Orihime and Tatsuki, prepared, took off their shirts and jeans, revealing swim suits underneath. Mizuiro and Ishida sat down and meditated. Rukia sat down on the soft grass and lay down, closing her eyes.

But Ichigo, instead of joining the jagged circle, sat in the center, unmoving. It seemed that no action would happen at all, but Kinomi and Jinsei's beliefs were proven wrong.

"It' s not your fault, Ichigo," Rukia suddenly said.

"I know."

"No," said Uryuu firmly. "You don't know. You've been blaming yourself for everything ever since we met you and before that as well. So stop drowning in self-pity and be the war hero you're supposed to be." Ichigo nodded.

"Inoue, you couldn't have saved them," he said, completely off topic. Or so the two time travelers though.

"But I've rejected it before, on you, on Rukia, and Chad, on Uryuu, on Tatsuki, (1) everybody here. But I could barely reject the death of Hinamori-fukutaicho."

"But you did. You said you had to had some sort of bond with the person to reject at that level, or rage or desperation could increase your powers," Ichigo argued.

"All those people died. And I could have saved."

"Inoue-san." Uryuu said forcefully. "We all know you are close to Hinamori-fukutaicho, you had a bond with her. You may not have been able to save those others. Your powers have a limit. Everyone has a limit. Well, except for Kurosaki's reiatsu. Though that hasn't really helped us, so we'll call his lack of reiatsu control his limit." Orihime giggled.

"Thank you, Uryuu." Mizuiro looked around.

"Well, shall we get back? They will be worrying about us."

"Since when have we ever cared?" Ichigo said lazily. Everyone laughed. "Besides, they're not worried. Right now, Yoruichi and Urahara are wondering why Jinsei looks so much like them, Matsumoto is playing matchmaker and failing to get Toshirou and Momo together, and another soul is reforming." Everyone's eyes, including Ichigo's, widened.

"How did you know that?" Rukia asked quietly.

"I…I don't know. It just popped into my head." There was a moment of tense silence, but Keigo broke it with a quick comment.

"Well, now that we've found proof that Ichigo hears voices in his head, let's go tell Kurosutchi-taicho."

"NO!" Keigo was laughing hysterically as he ran off with the rest of the group trailing after him.

* * *

Kinomi looked at Jinsei curiously.

"Was this really the time dad got his powers?"

"Probably. The best we can hope to do is wait for Urahara, or, more likely Ichigo." Kinomi stared at him as he looked absently at the area the group had just left.

"So how's your relationship with Takiya?" Jinsei winced.

"Not that well. She keeps getting jealous because I hang around you." Kinomi scoffed.

"She knows I'm no threat."

"Apparently she doesn't. She does have good reason to believe so, though. I mean, you're the daughter of one the most powerful shinigami in Soul Society, the heir of the Kuchiki clan, and top of the _school_. You only needed to complete three of the seven years in the Academy. I mean, really. That's like the level of Uncle Hitsugaya!"

"So?" Kinomi asked. "You're all that, except you're heir of the Shihouin clan, and you're second at school. How could Takiya _not_ like you? If she doesn't realize all that, she doesn't deserve you. If you really want help with relationship problems, ask your mom or my parents. Yoruichi is…well Yoruichi, so she'll be able to give advice, and unless it's war, my parents act like teenagers. If you have to, ask the advice of them _now_. It wouldn't hurt." Kinomi shrugged. Jinsei looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded.

"Yeah, good idea. We should become friends with them first, though."

"True. But whatever you do, don't ask your dad for love advice." They both shuddered at the possible advice of the 5th division.

* * *

(1) The group became more acquainted with each other, so they address each other in a much less formal manner than the original storyline.


	7. Chapter 7

Summary: It's been 3 years. It's been 3 years since the war ended. It's been 3 years since the death and fighting ended. It's been 3 years since Kurosaki Ichigo died. But as a new possible threat appears, questions arise. The most important being: is Kurosaki Ichigo, hero of the Winter War, truly dead?

**Sorry for the long wait. I've been studying like crazy because my sadistic teacher decided to give us 141 math problems…I'm not kidding. It's for **_**review**_**. This chapter's pretty short because I'm still kind of developing the details of Kinomi and Jinsei's characters.**

Chapter 7

The morning started out like any other, well, at least for Kinomi and Jinsei.

"Hah! I so totally won!" Jinsei boasted. Kinomi scoffed.

"Yeah, right! It's only because you cheated!"

"How is using bankai cheating!?" Kinomi grit her teeth.

"Because, _dear_ _Jinsei_, we agreed not to use bankai. Now, because _I_ won the bet by default, _you_ have to go through Mom's drawing!" Kinomi laughed at Jinsei's pleas. Then, the male vizard acquired a mischievous twinkle in his eye. Using his looks to his advantage, he stepped close to Kinomi. Knowing that he had to act carefully, lest he find that he go through something worse than hell, when Kinomi opened her eyes to find her best friend right in front of her face, she was completely breathless.

Kinomi was slightly uncomfortable with finding her best friend so _seductive_, especially since she had grown up with him for over a century. She was suddenly acutely aware of his dirty blond hair and attractive face. His cat-like yellow eyes had a certain glint in them, feral almost. He, like his father, kept his hair messy and at medium length.

_Damn it, why did he have to inherit his dad's looks?_ Kinomi thought in despair. Jinsei moved in closer, cornering her into a wall.

_Yes! It's working! Thank you dad!_

But his predicted victory was short-lived, as Kinomi, analytical, but had somehow inherited her father's recklessness, soon realized what Jinsei was trying to do. Now, orange hair and violet eyes may seem like an odd combination, but the way Kinomi's hair was styled was meant to make her look as attractive as possible. Her hair was a softer shade of orange than Ichigo's, for those genes were dulled by her mother's raven hair. As is such, her hair was fashioned into layers of medium length, framing her face. The contrast between the colors of her eyes and hair made her face glow. Her bangs made all the difference though. They were short enough to cover her forehead and give her a childish look, but long enough to be brushed back and create a mature, seductive appearance. It was this appearance Kinomi used on Jinsei.

"Oh _Jinsei_," she sang in a bell-like voice. She smiled sweetly. "What were you about to do?" She leaned slightly toward him, showing off her figure. Jinsei's breath staggered.

_Shit, she picked up _a lot_ from Matsumoto and Yoruichi. I knew I was gonna be in deep shit if I messed up or she figured it out, but I didn't think it would be _this_ bad. On the other hand, she _does_ look hot like that…Ugh, what am I thinking? This is _Kinomi_, the daughter of the most powerful shinigami in Soul Society. Then again, her parents didn't really mind when all those boys hit on her._

_Flashback_

_"Hey, do you want to come over to my place?" Kinomi's male classmate asked. She was currently trying to evade the boys who were trying to ask her out. Her parents, in shinigami form, were watching, amused. Unknown to their daughter, the boy who tried to ask her out happened to be Keigo's son. Elsewhere, Jinsei was having the same problem. Running for his sanity (or what was left of it), he stumbled upon Ichigo and Rukia's hysterical laughing, and Kinomi's desperate attempts to escape. Rukia calmed down enough to tell Jinsei something._

_"Well, aren't you going to help her?"_

_"Why? I have the same problem that I'm dealing with!" Rukia analyzed the boy carefully._

_"Hmm…okay then. If you won't help her, we'll just call Renji, Urahara, Yoruichi…and the rest of Gotei 13. I'm sure Karin would love the money sold for tickets." Jinsei shot a glare at Rukia, who completely ignored the look. He sighed and walked over to Kinomi. Grabbing her hand, he walked away, Kinomi's parents following with amused faces._

_"What the hell are you doing?" hissed Kinomi._

_"Preserving our sanity."_

_End Flashback_

Sometimes those two really made him wonder how they became parents. Then again, compared to _his_…

He looked over Kinomi stance, instantly regretting doing so. Deciding to play it out and do the best he could, Jinsei continued his act.

"Well, it depends…" he answered in a low voice. Kinomi's eyes twinkled with amusement, knowing there was no way she could be beat.

"On what?" she whispered. She stepped closer. Jinsei had no more words.

"Uh, w-well…y-you...b-but th-" He sighed in defeat. "Fine. You win. I'll go to Rukia and ask her to show me her drawings." Kinomi kissed his cheek sweetly.

"That's a good boy. Now not a word of this incident or I'll castrate you." She left him gaping at the spot where she once stood. Renji had been watching the incident from the point that Jinsei _tried_ to seduce Kinomi and walked to Jinsei, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry. You'll be faced with the decision soon enough. I suggest you think until then."


	8. Chapter 8

Summary: It's been 3 years. It's been 3 years since the war ended. It's been 3 years since the death and fighting ended. It's been 3 years since Kurosaki Ichigo died. But as a new possible threat appears, questions arise. The most important being: is Kurosaki Ichigo, hero of the Winter War, truly dead?

**As Chapter 7 was all about Kinomi and Jinsei, this chapter explores the mind-boggling relationship between Yoruichi, Soi Fon, and Urahara.**

Chapter 8

Yoruichi and Soi Fon sat uncomfortably under Urahara's blank gaze. Yoruichi wondered what was going through his mind at the moment. She expected him to have _some_ sort of reaction, but not such a silent one. Possible reactions might have been that he burst out into tears, laughed hysterically, a mixture of both, or some other loud motion; but not a silent, blank stare.

Urahara sipped at his tea, or what he hoped was tea. He glanced discreetly at Soi Fon, who had an emotionless mask on. How did she feel about this? He knew she loved the Shihouin princess, but how did she feel about telling him?

"So, you're telling me that my best friend," he looked pointedly at Yoruichi. "And the captain of the 2nd division is in a relationship. And not only that, a homosexual relationship, which may be shunned upon in this society."

"But-" Soi Fon protested. Urahara cut her off and grinned hugely.

"Don't worry. I support you wholeheartedly! What kind of friend would I be if I didn't? And I'll make sure everybody else does too!" Yoruichi looked at him in shock. She expected him to at least accept it, but not to _support_ it so enthusiastically! She was a little hurt that her best friend would let her go so easily. But then again, this was Urahara, who often hid his true emotions behind a mask.

"You really do?" asked Soi Fon tentatively. She was glad that the slightly eccentric captain supported their relationship, but she thought the genius had harbored feelings for Yoruichi.

"Of course! When you two are together, maybe it'll prompt the rest of Gotei 13!" Soi Fon sweatdropped, though the statement was true. Most of the Gotei 13 was filled with relationship problems and denial, the most prominent being the huge love polygon that revolves around Rukia, now that Ichigo has returned. Ichigo coming back dragged Uryuu, Orihime, and the dead Kaien into the picture.

Yoruichi had been strangely silent. But now she spoke.

"Thank you, Kisuke." Urahara's grin grew.

"Of course, Yoruichi-san!" Yoruichi glared and hit him over the head.

"How many times have I told you to call me Yoruichi!?"

* * *

Soi Fon lay in her bed, thinking through the day's events, the most important being the confession of her and Yoruichi's relationship to Urahara. She expected him to be the hardest to convince, but he was surprisingly easygoing. But she couldn't help but be bothered by something.

_Flashback_

_"…Yoruichi-san!"_

_"How many times have I told you to call me Yoruichi!?"_

_End Flashback_

_Yoruichi_. She told him to call her Yoruichi, while Soi Fon was told to call her Yoruichi-san. But it didn't mean anything, right?

_Of course it doesn't mean anything. I haven't called Yoruichi-sama…_

Even in her thoughts she could not come to call her by her given name, without an honorific.

Soi Fon rolled over, disturbed by her thoughts.

* * *

Ichigo and Rukia stared at the trio in shock.

"You're saying that you," Ichigo said, pointing to Yoruichi. "And her," he continued, pointing at Soi Fon. "Are dating? And he," Ichigo gestured to Urahara. "Supports you to the point that if _I don't_, he'll attack me?" Urahara hid his smile behind that damned fan of his.

"Oh my, Kurosaki-san, you make it sound so violent! Besides, I could _never_ defeat you. At least, not as long as you have that sword."

"Stop spouting crap, I know you could easily kill me if you wanted to. No…you could probably kill me even if you _didn't_ want to. And I'm not dumb enough not to support the relationship. It just…"

"It came as a shock," Rukia continued. "We always thought…"

"You always thought what?" asked Kinomi as she and Jinsei walked over. He still hadn't fulfilled his part of the bet.

"Yoruichi and Soi Fon are together, and Urahara will kill us if we don't support the relationship," Ichigo said. Jinsei had a confused look that Kinomi soon noticed.

"Idiot. You said it yourself. This is when the relationship problems come," she hissed so only Jinsei could hear. She continued out loud.

"Really? Even if we don't know you that well, we support you completely. Right, Jinsei?" She gave him a look that said _play along or I'll kill you past the point of no return_.

"Erm…we-well, y-yeah, of c-c-course!" Kinomi hit him over the head.

"You moron! Can't you say a straight sentence!? If you want to live, then you should learn how to act! You are _so_ lucky you're practically a stranger, or they would be even more offended! You couldn't act for your life! Why, I have no idea, since your parents are masters at deception!" She continued to beat him mercilessly. Urahara watched, amused. They reminded him of Ichigo and Rukia…or him and Yoruichi…

Kinomi then noticed there were other people…if you could call them people.

"Eh…please forgive our rude behavior!" She ran off, Jinsei in tow. By now, everyone had forgotten Rukia's unfinished sentence.

"…So, you better tell the rest of our friends!" As Urahara, Yoruichi, and Soi Fon walked off, Rukia chuckled.

"Looks like Renji lost that bet with Ikkaku."


	9. Chapter 9

Summary: It's been 3 years. It's been 3 years since the war ended. It's been 3 years since the death and fighting ended. It's been 3 years since Kurosaki Ichigo died. But as a new possible threat appears, questions arise. The most important being: is Kurosaki Ichigo, hero of the Winter War, truly dead?

**…This chapter is a bit longer and made of my poorly made attempts at Matsumoto/Gin, but most of it are flashbacks. If I wanted to screw with the numbers, I would have put this as Chapter 8.5.**

Chapter 9

"…"

"I don't remember Matsumoto being so..."

"How much has changed since I've been gone?" Hisana asked. Masaki had gone with Isshin. "I don't remember Hitsugaya permitting anyone to call him by his given name. And what happened to Aizen-taichou and Tousen-taichou?" She had not asked about Gin. That was lucky for her with Matsumoto there. Even after three years, she was still wounded by Ichimaru Gin's undeserved death.

_Flashback_

_Gin completely missed Hitsugaya, instead aiming for Tousen behind him. He changed battles, now fighting Tousen._

_"Hm…so you were planning to betray us all along, Gin? I must congratulate you for deceiving us for so long. But this is as far as you'll get. I'm sorry. I really thought you were on the path to justice." He stabbed Gin in the chest, believing he killed him for _justice_._

_Matsumoto cried out at his death. Even Orihime, who had rejected lifeless bodies, could not revive the brave man, having no connection with him and harboring feelings of hate until that moment._

_When the battle was over, Matsumoto cried over her love's cold corpse, until Orihime and Rukia hugged her and both sang a soft song, their voices blending together perfectly, carrying out over the battlefield, for it was a song of mourning, yet comforting, like a lullaby. They were not only comforting others, but themselves, for they had learned the death of Ichigo._

_End Flashback_

"And what about Ichimaru-taichou?" Crap. Matsumoto was desperately trying to hold herself together. For these three years, Hitsugaya had not complained about paperwork once, knowing the mental state his lieutenant was in. Any mention Aizen or Tousen and she would shiver. Any mention of Gin, and she would break down crying or something of the likes. Luckily, Rukia and Orihime were there. They sang the soft lullaby they sang at the battlefield, for only it could calm Matsumoto.

Kinomi recognized the tune as the one she sang to Yuzu, the one her mother would sing when she was younger. She joined in, much to the surprise of Rukia and Orihime.

When they were done singing, Matsumoto had fallen asleep at the calming melody. The two girls laid her on the couch, where her tear-stained cheeks would not be seen.

While they left the room, Rukia gave a withering look to her sister. Orihime tugged on her arm and they met with the rest of their friends, who had been silently watching. But before leaving, Tatsuki gave Hisana an analytical look.

"You are a different case than Masaki. She must regain what she used to have, but you must relinquish what you have. Times have changed, and to you, you have found your sister. You have recently gained something, but right now, this is of a bad time, for lack of a better term. Soon, someone precious to your family will be in danger," she said in a monotone voice. Rukia slightly pulled on Tatsuki's arm, who shook her head and walked away with the rest of her friends.

"What was that?" Renji asked after a moments pause.

"It was never made clear by them, but most of them would only say she developed abilities due to Ichigo's constantly leaking reiatsu. But it seems he has gotten that under control now," Hitsugaya answered.

"You're kidding me? It's bad enough he made Inoue-san invincible, and Chad so much stronger, but he made that girl able to predict the future?"

* * *

Matsumoto was oblivious to the conversation, lost in her dream, which was composed of her memories. To be specific, they were her memories of Gin.

_Flashback/Dream_

_"I'm Ichimaru Gin."_

_"Matsumoto Rangiku."_

* * *

_"How are you so good at our classes!?"_

_"It's natural to me."_

* * *

_"Why did you do it?"_

_"…"_

_"Well?"_

_"Rangiku…"_

_"Don't call me that! I _will_ kill you if I must!"_

_"I came as a caring friend to give you a present on your birthday. I'm even unarmed. You have your zanpakuto right next to you. If you attack me, I won't fight back."_

_"…Why are you here, Gin?"_

_"I already told you. I'm here to give you your birthday present."_

_"I'll kill you. I'm ordered to do so."_

_"Then go ahead. I said I wouldn't fight back. Go ahead and kill me, it would make the war easier."_

_"…Just give me my present. For this one night, we'll have a truce. And if you're not gone by the morning, I will kill you."_

* * *

_"Gin!"_

_"Rangiku…I…love…you…"_

_"GIN!"_

_"…I reject!"_

_"…"_

_"I REJECT!"_

_"I REJECT!!!"_

_"…"_

_"It'll be alright, Matsumoto-fukutaichou."_

_"I-I'm really sorry, Matsumoto-san."_

_"Please…Rukia, Orihime…call me Rangiku."_

_"…Okay, Rangiku. Do you want us to tell you th-the…"_

_"Deaths?"_

_"P-please."_

_"We lost Kurotsuchi-taichou and two lieutenants. Other deaths were reported, but we can't remember any of them, except…"_

_"K-Kurosaki-san."_

_"It's alright Orihime."_

_"No. No, it's not."_

_"Rangiku?"_

_"Nothing's alright. The one who killed Aizen is _dead_. The one who risked his life to deceit Aizen is dead. One of the captains is dead. Too many of them are dead. Nothing is alright."_

_"We'll leave you for a bit."_

_"Thanks, Rukia."_

_"But-"_

_"Should-"_

_"Leave her alone or I'll kill you."_

_"…"_

_"Gin…I love you, and I hope…no, I know that we'll meet again. Someday, somewhere, we'll meet."_

_End Flashback/Dream_

Matsumoto woke up to an empty, dark room. Yet, she felt at home as the moonlight beamed into the room. She walked over to the window and looked out to see Ichigo and Rukia walking together, lost to their own thoughts, and for once not arguing. At least, for a while, until Rukia asked something that Ichigo no doubt answered rather sarcastically. They resumed arguing, until Ichigo said muttered something that quieted the two down. They continued their walk, as if nothing happened.

Matsumoto smiled at their actions and looked to the bright full moon.

"If I can't have my happy ending, I will help others achieve theirs. I promise you that, Gin."


	10. Chapter 10

Summary: It's been three years since the end of the war and Kurosaki Ichigo's death. A new reality emerges. Rules are defied and chaos erupts. Who is there to save them this time? Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

**This chapter is mostly dialogue. There not really a description in the first part, but I hope you get the main idea.**

Chapter 10

"What!?" yelled Ichigo.

"Calm down. It's only to observe what effects the human world is having. Here, in Soul Society, souls that were eaten by hollows or were supposed to be sent to the Sea of Souls are appearing as if they never died," Yoruichi explained. "We'll be going in gigais. There's too much of us to be discreet in shinigami form."

"Wait, how many are coming?" Ichigo asked, almost afraid of the answer.

"You, Rukia, Renji, Hitsugaya, Kisuke, Hinamori, Hanatarou, and me. Basically everyone who's standing in front of you."

"Why so many?"

"Well, we need to scout most of Karakura Town _constantly_, which means we'll need to have different posts all over at night. We also need officers who can pass as high school students," Urahara said. Ichigo was about to point out Hitsugaya and Hinamori, but Yoruichi cut him off. "They've grown enough to pass as short teenagers who happen to be geniuses."

"Hinamori is a genius?" Ichigo asked incredulously. It's not that she wasn't smart; she just didn't show any prowess.

"Amazingly, she is. Though, that may be the years of learning in the Academy."

"What about you and her?" Ichigo inquired, referring to Urahara and Yoruichi. There was no way they were posing as students. Urahara hid behind his fan. Sometimes, they wanted to destroy it just so he would stop doing that.

"Why, what about us?"

"We'll just stay at the shop, and when need calls, pose as parents," said Yoruichi, actually answering Ichigo's question.

"Of five children?"

"Of course not! Hinamori and Hitsugaya will stay with Orihime; she's already agreed."

"And how is Hinamori staying with Toushirou a good idea?" Ichigo asked, his tone rising. The two in question both blushed, but Hitsugaya actually retorted.

"And what about you and Rukia?" Ichigo, prepared (for once), scoffed.

"What about us? She's been living in the same house with me for over a year. Besides, I actually have three other people in the house. Only Inoue is where you're staying, and she tolerates pretty much everything."

"Just drop it, you two. We have more important things to discuss," Rukia interrupted.

"Okay, but how are they going to explain living with Inoue?" Ichigo asked the two who were apparently in charge, namely Urahara and Yoruichi.

"Hinamori is Inoue's cousin, and Hitsugaya is Hinamori's friend's brother." Ichigo raised an eyebrow.

"You made up that story just to make sure they weren't related?" In fact, they did. The idea was originally Matsumoto's, though. Her first matchmaker attempt would be the two childhood friends, but she was patient (this time), so she would wait and let nature take its course. She was just going to give it a kick in the ass once in a while.

"Just shut up about that, Ichigo," Rukia ordered. Ichigo thought better than to start another fight and pursued another subject.

"You still have to explain three other kids who look nothing alike."

"Not really, as Rukia's staying with your family, and we're saying Renji's adopted. There's no way you're getting out of this." Ichigo sighed in defeat.

"Fine. But please try to act normal."

"Who said we weren't normal?"

"…"

* * *

Ichigo and Rukia walked to Ichigo's room, tired. They had a call for a nest of Gillians right in the middle of class. And since nine kids couldn't just get up and make an excuse about the bathroom, and Urahara and Yoruichi were busy, Ichigo had to deal with them by himself. Rukia didn't have it as hard, but since Ichigo was purifying the Gillians, she purified everything else in their area of the town (which was quite large, due to Ichigo's ease with handling hollows) after school.

When they reached Ichigo's room, Ichigo put up a shield with Ametsuchi, much to Rukia's surprise. When questioned, he just shrugged like it was no big deal.

"I've been practicing," he answered simply. Right then, he felt the reiatsu of his sisters listening by the door. Wanting to trick them, and having to do it anyway, he motioned for Rukia to jump out the window in shinigami form so they could attend the meeting that was planned between the spiritual beings, including Uryuu, Orihime, and Chad.

They shunpoed together to their destination, Orihime's house. At least, they did at first. Ichigo got bored of going so slow and used a combination of shunpo and sonido to reach Orihime's house quicker. It ends up that, even thought they were late to begin with, Ichigo was the first there, besides Hitsugaya and Hinamori. When everyone was gathered, Ichigo and Rukia reported possibly some of the most disturbing news in quite a while, along with the knowledge souls weren't reincarnating or dying.

"We think the majority of the humans in Karakura Town have become spiritually aware."

**Really short chapter, but it was a triple update! Please review!**


	11. Chapter 11

Summary: It's been three years since the end of the war and Kurosaki Ichigo's death. A new reality emerges. Rules are defied and chaos erupts. Who is there to save them this time? Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

Chapter 11

"We think the majority of the humans in Karakura Town have become spiritually aware," Rukia said gravely.

"What?" Uryuu asked for clarification. Even Urahara could not have predicted this. Ichigo sighed, exhausted.

"They aren't exactly aware. You know how we," he gestured to the group as a whole, meaning their kind. "Can sense reiatsu? During my research, I found that most untrained spiritual beings, that are not me," he said pointedly to Renji who was about to protest. "Can sense reiatsu to an extremely low level."

"What proof do you have of this?" Hitsugaya asked incredulously. Ichigo glanced at him.

"All spirits are affected by spiritual pressure. For example, when Aizen attacked Rukongai and three captains had to release bankai. The souls located in that district and nearby districts all felt some sort of suffocating sensation from the amount of spiritual pressure."

"How is this relevant? These are humans," Renji pointed out. Ichigo could kill him for his stupidity.

"But they are also souls. I believe that _something or someone_ has targeted Karakura Town and Soul Society and have destroyed or at least subdued the boundaries that separate the dead from the living. From the data I can gather, the population's already higher than normal spiritual awareness has been raised to a rare level." Hanatarou looked at Ichigo, confused.

"What do you mean a 'rare level'?" he asked. Ichigo prayed to God (or in this case, the Spirit King) that Rukia wouldn't pull out her drawings. He wasn't answered.

"There are levels to a person's spiritual awareness. _Normal_ humans have the lowest level, barely any. They might experience cases of déjà vu or other superstitious occurrences, caused by the presence of spirits. Here in Karakura Town, they are at the next level, which is fairly normal. They experience supernatural occurrences often, and the occasional ability to sense someone or something, though it is only an instinct. Now, when they die and become souls, they achieve the third level, which means they are aware, but because it has been explained, they live a fairly normal life in Soul Society, paying almost no attention to their level of awareness. The level that normal shinigami are at is the fifth level, which I am sure you are familiar with. You've been trained in detecting reiatsu and spiritual beings, as well as manipulating your own reiatsu. When you achieve bankai, you are at the sixth and final level. Your spiritual senses are increased, as well as your reiatsu." She showed the drawing to the group, who finally understood why Ichigo always complained about the…rabbits? Or are they raccoons? Rukia continued with her explanation. "But there's a fourth level that was thought to be unachievable, unless you were born with it."

"What do you mean by that?" Yoruichi asked.

"What I mean, is that they were born spiritually aware, like Ichigo and his sisters. It's just that Ichigo and Karin were born higher up, while Yuzu was born still at the fourth level, but she can only see faint outlines.

It seems that somehow the people here in Karakura Town have been raised from the second to the fourth. What is odd is that they can't see hollows or bad spirits, only pluses and shinigami, or other good spiritual beings. Normally, this would mean they have achieved some sort of ability, but they are still rather plain in terms of spiritual power. Either way, we have a problem." There was a long pause. No one knew what to say; what could they? This was possibly worse than the Aizen fiasco. At least then, they had information on their enemies and who they were. But this time…

"We only have one option," Ichigo said, breaking the silence. "We have to train them." The reactions were immediate.

"What! This goes completely against the orders of Soul Society!" Hitsugaya yelled.

"We don't know when the enemy will strike! We have to be on our guard, not training some humans!" Renji protested.

"We have to prepare them! They'll die if we don't and the _balance_ you shinigami are trying so hard to maintain will be disrupted!" countered Uryuu. But just a few words from Urahara silenced them.

"I agree." Yoruichi stared at him.

"You can't be serious. We don't have time to train them!" Urahara, for once, did not hide behind his fan.

"Yes, we do. You should know that as well as anyone Yoruichi." He stared pointedly at her.

"But we don't know what abilities they will manifest," Hinamori pointed out quietly, speaking for the first time since the meeting started. Ichigo was wondering whether he should reveal his technique or not. On one hand, it would greatly help the people train, and also train the ones who already have powers. But if Yamamoto took it the wrong way…

"We do," he said. Everyone looked at him in surprise. "I'd been reluctant to reveal this at first, but it's clear we need it. During my travels, I found I had a certain _precognition_, of sorts. I wasn't sure until I came back to Soul Society, and I was dead certain when I went to my house. I can sort of sense the abilities within a person, and how much further they must advance to achieve said ability."

"How do you know you can do this?" Urahara asked ever the one to gather data. Ichigo closed his eyes.

"Ametsuchi told me. It has something to do with her. She's the reason I can put up shields and other incredible stuff. I'm not sure, but I think she was someone else's zanpakuto in a past life. She can recover a few memories, and from what I've seen, she was first manifested during a war." Ichigo stopped and adopted a blank look. He fainted, and the last thing he heard was Rukia calling his name.


	12. Chapter 12

Summary: It's been three years since the end of the war and Kurosaki Ichigo's death. A new reality emerges. Rules are defied and chaos erupts. Who is there to save them this time? Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

**In this chapter, we get to explore the minds of the vizards and other people! Note: This is **_**my**_** portrayal on their past or character. If there is any error in my information, please correct me. Please note that you must have proof of the error, or if you state your opinion on how you look at their past, and I find it better than mine, I'll change it and give credit. Also, we get a glimpse of Ametsuchi's memories! Mind you, it's very short, though. Most, if not all, of the flashbacks/memories are of romance and friendship.**

**I will now type Hitsugaya's given name a 'Toushiro' instead of 'Toushirou'.**

Chapter 12

"Ichigo! Ichigo!" Rukia tried to wake him up, as did everyone else, but no one was able to stir the unconscious war hero. Rukia sighed and slapped her forehead.

"Why is it that he always manages to somehow get in trouble?" she groaned.

"Yeah, but that's one of the things you love about him," teased Yoruichi. Rukia looked at her incredulously.

"What? No way! I'd rather he just stay in one place! In fact, he really should stop getting hurt so much," Rukia muttered. Now that she thought about, she realized Ichigo managed to either find or attract trouble. From the beginning, his high spiritual energy attracted hollows, which led to Rukia coming and giving him his shinigami powers. When he lost his powers that were taken from Rukia, he went and accepted Urahara's training. Then, he managed to get an inner hollow, though that was probably Urahara's doing. When he rescued Rukia, he just had to fight her brother, a captain.

Though, he did reveal Aizen's plans and achieve bankai in three days. And after he managed to control his hollow, he was the only one who could defeat the crazy bastard. Really, that guy was way too calm to be sane _and_ powerful. Then again, who ever said he was sane? Even Hinamori got over Aizen when Orihime befriended her. Rukia was snapped out of her musing by Renji.

"So what do we do with him?"

"Orihime, are there any injuries?" Hinamori asked. She was much bolder after the Aizen incident. Orihime checked and shook her head.

"There seems to be nothing wrong with him. But I may be mistaken."

"Oh come on. You're abilities are near perfect, there's almost no chance you missed anything," Renji protested. Orihime smiled sadly.

"Actually, there's quite a large chance I did. I found I can't detect certain illnesses and injuries that involve vizards. If it's a physical injury, I treat like any other. But if it's something caused by their inner hollow, and I can't see it, I can't detect or treat whatever they have. I only know this because there was something wrong with Kurosaki-kun that I couldn't reject. But when the vizards came, they healed it as if it was nothing. Even my powers can only go so far." The others were in shock. After the war, there had been an argument on what to do about Orihime's powers. Yamamoto thought they should be sealed, as it wasn't right 'to have the power to reject God'. But in the end, she kept them for her part in the war. And the fact that Unohana scared most of the divisions into agreeing helped. But even so, most thought Orihime deserved her powers, so Yamamoto and the Chamber 46 was overruled by sheer number and threats from the Gotei 13. But this new information would have almost completely eliminated the need for the debate. Her powers _were_ limited, unlike what most people thought.

"Should we contact the vizards then?" Chad asked. This time, Urahara shielded his face with that cursed fan that most people wanted to throw into Hell.

"No need. I already did. Some of them should be arriving…"

"Yo, what happened to the dickhead?"

"Now." Hiyori and Shinji walked over, took one look, and shook their heads.

"I don't think this is because he's a vizard," Shinji told them. "If I took a guess, I believe it has something to do with that new sword of his." He pointed to the sheathed Ametsuchi. Hitsugaya tried to get the sword away from Ichigo, but there seemed to be a shield around him. But when Hiyori tried, there was no resistance.

"It seems that only vizards can hold it." He was about to continue, but Hiyori smacked him with her sandal.

"No duh. But you're all missing a huge point here. Look at the dickhead." She pointed to Ichigo, whose eyes were open, but he seemed unaware of his surroundings. "Look closely at his eyes." They complied with her orders.

"Wait, what is that? Are those…pictures?" Uryuu said in surprise. Shinji shook his head.

"No, I believe they are memories. It occasionally happens with spiritually aware reincarnations of a particularly powerful being, but that isn't the case here. After years of research, we found that only original souls can achieve bankai. Usually, this means they were born in Soul Society, but in Ichigo's, and probably his sister's, case, he was born in the human world, but not as a reincarnation. We figured that's why his reiatsu is so high. From what I can gather, those are the memories of the sword."

* * *

Shinji was half right. They were not only visions of the past, but also glimpses of the future. It wasn't clear, but a few images would make their way into the flood of memories. But they weren't only Ametsuchi's. Ichigo somehow got a short glance at a memory of everyone in the room.

_**Urahara's memory**_

_"You are hereby banished from Soul Society for performing illegal experiments…" Urahara had been punished for a crime he had not committed, and further more, he had tried to stop it._

I shouldn't have sent Hiyori…_ He was still brooding over that decision, convinced he could have stopped all of their transformations. He saw Yoruichi's calm expression, but her eyes showed everything he needed to know, and was glad that at least _she_ believed he was innocent. That was all he needed to continue._

_**Yoruichi's memory**_

_"Idiot! If I didn't come, who would be there to make sure you don't destroy everything?" Urahara grinned. He was trying to protest against his former captain on coming with him; she had not been exiled. And she was also a noble! But Yoruichi didn't care. She had always detested all those rules._

_"But what about your division?" Damn, he hit the only thing that would keep her back. But she didn't show her emotion, not wanting to give her long time friend the satisfaction._

_"They'll find a new captain. And they can already handle themselves without me."_

_"How do think Soi Fon will feel?" Soi Fon; she was like a little sister to Yoruichi. She absolutely adored her captain, and would be heartbroken. But Yoruichi would not give in. Even so, her voice slightly broke when she answered._

_"…She'll understand someday. Give up, Kisuke. I'm coming with you no matter what. You'll cause too much destruction even with Tessai there. Besides, without me, you'd have a harder time to escape." Though she said it was only to protect the human world from Urahara's crazy, yet brilliant, inventions, she was actually doing it for him._

_Because she'll do anything for him._

_**Hiyori's memory**_

_Though she would never say it, she had begun to accept Urahara as her captain. But then she had to leave with the others. Worst of all, she had to deal with Shinji. Would she never escape him? She _did_ enjoy hitting him, though. Truth be told, she would miss the 12__th__ division. Well, except for Mayuri. The biggest regret was that she never showed much respect towards her new captain, and he never knew that she didn't hate him anymore. Even if he would help them escape, it wouldn't be the same. She'll have to leave the life she knew, and never return._

_This would be her new life, with her new family, with that annoying Shinji. That reminds her…_

_SMACK!_

_**Shinji's memory**_

_They had finally perfected their control of their hollows, and were having a sparring match to celebrate. From the damage that was caused, all Shinji could think was that it was lucky Hachi could create such strong barriers._

_He was fighting against Hiyori, who had become his lieutenant. They both donned their masks. It was impossible to describe all that went on, but in the end, Shinji won. Unfortunately for him, that didn't stop Hiyori's sandal from smacking him across his face. He didn't really mind as he was used to it already._

_When all the fights were done, he looked around. Aizen had ruined their lives, but made them start new ones as well. But they were grateful to Urahara, who had done his best to save them. They owed him for helping them when no one else would or could. But they had a debt to repay to Aizen. And one day, that debt would be repaid._

_"What do you think will happen now?" Hiyori asked, for once quiet. Shinji smiled._

_"We live on." As long as he had his comrades, and though he would never admit it out loud, friends and family, they would be alright._

_"What kind of lame ass answer is that!?" Hiyori yelled._

_Yep, this was his family._

_**Hinamori's memory**_

_Hinamori POV_

_No, it wasn't possible. My dear captain stabbed me? Why, did Aizen-taichou do that? _

_Shiro-chan came and talked to Aizen, ready to fight. I wanted to tell him to run away, save himself. But I couldn't move, let alone speak. Aizen told him that he killed me. It was untrue, but I probably looked dead. My childhood friend rushed over to me and saw me bleeding. I could almost see him clench his fists and successfully hold back his tears. I wanted to tell him not to cry for me, that I didn't deserve his tears. I wanted to tell him to run and get help. I was sure Aizen was being controlled by Gin. But he still fought and released his bankai. I was so proud of him, so proud that he was the youngest captain in a long time. But I knew he was no match. I didn't want him to die, because if he did, I would too._

Shiro-chan, don't die.

_**Hitsugaya's memory**_

_It broke his heart to see her like that, to see so broken, so lifeless, all because of Aizen. Yet she still said that Gin was manipulating her ex-captain. When the sou-taichou took her away, saying she wasn't ready for such a discussion, Hitsugaya disagreed in his mind. Because that talk just made him all the more determined to kill Aizen. And though he didn't want to admit it, the only way to do that was to train Ichigo. If he could not kill the traitor himself, he would at least take part in training the one who would._

_He owed that to Hinamori Momo._

_**Uryuu's memory**_

_She never noticed him, always focused on Ichigo. Even when he would do everything for her, she brushed his feelings aside and fawned over Ichigo. The only consolation he had was that Ichigo obviously didn't return the feelings. Though he didn't know it, Ichigo held some sort of affection toward the short, raven-haired shinigami who granted him his powers in the first place. Uryuu was sure Orihime knew that to some degree, but she continued to pursue him._

_Even if his affections were never reciprocated, he would protect her with his life. That is what he thought as he stood in front of the hollow that was Ichigo, ready to fight and sacrifice himself. All for Orihime._

_**Orihime's memory**_

_"KUROSAKI-KUN!" she screamed, as if that would bring him back to life. To her surprise and horror, it did, but he returned as a full hollow. When he defeated Ulquiorra, she knew he would target her and Uryuu, for this was no longer Ichigo._

_When Uryuu tried to talk to him, to bring the Ichigo they knew back out, he didn't listen. She thought he would back down and run, but he didn't. He stood in front of her, knowing to fight was suicide, yet he still protected her. Then, she knew._

_He would protect her with his life._

_**Chad's memory**_

_His power was different than the others, he knew that much. It resembled the abilities of a hollow more than anything else. But he won't use it like hollows. No, he would protect his friends, like he promised. He will never raise one hand to defend himself if there will be no benefit for one of his friends. He will never hurt them. That is his resolve._

_As people mourned Ichigo's death, he shed silent tears, but with one thought, he knew Ichigo would be thankful._

I will protect our friends…just like I promised.

_**Renji's memory**_

_Rukia wasn't the same since Ichigo's death. To tell the truth, Renji missed the strawberry himself. But while Renji recovered, Rukia didn't. No matter what he tried, Rukia was still mourning Ichigo's death. He hated to admit it, but he had been replaced as Rukia's best friend. Kurosaki Ichigo had taken that place in her heart. Normally, that wouldn't bother him too much…if Rukia was happy. But she wasn't. She was in so much pain, and he hated it. She was broken._

_He tried, but he couldn't repair her. He was unsure about taking her to see her human friends, but he did it anyways. And where he failed, they succeeded. He would normally be ecstatic, were it not for the method they used to fix Rukia. They used the memory of Ichigo. They reminded her that he wouldn't want her to brood, that he sacrificed himself so she and others could be happy. After much coaxing and encouraging talk from her friends, she was normal again. Or as normal as she could be after her best friend died. Renji was a bit happier, but he still resented her comeback a little because what broke her in the first place mended her. He resented it because the ones in Soul Society couldn't help her, but _Ichigo's_ friends could. And so, Renji finally realized the truth._

_He would never be able to beat Kurosaki Ichigo._

_**Hanatarou's memory**_

_It was the second annual memorial service for all those who lost their lives during the war. But most importantly, it was an event to remember Ichigo. Urahara would talk about his student and tell us about him. Over the time of the war, I became friends with Ichigo. Certainly not as close as his other friends, but we were still friends. And I missed him, just like all his other friends. It felt empty without his enormous reiatsu, or his sarcastic attitude. It didn't feel right when he wasn't there to surprise us with how serious and intelligent he could be sometimes._

_"He was a dedicated student…one of the most stubborn people I have ever encountered…would always protect his friends…was a little disrespectful, but you feel as though he only does it because…he doesn't believe rules and honor should come first…" Urahara's words made Hanatarou and many others miss him all the more, yet they felt proud. But one thing didn't change._

_Kurosaki Ichigo was gone._

_**Rukia's memory**_

_Rukia POV_

_When I first met him, I thought he was just like Kaien-dono. And after he rescued me, my thoughts went further down that path. But when the war actually started, my thoughts retreated slightly. He would be analytical and often surprise me with his actions. The thing that differentiated Ichigo from Kaien was that while Kaien would protect his friends, he would leave us after he was done, and think that we wouldn't need him anymore. But Ichigo would protect us and stay, knowing that even if we didn't need him, he would be there. Ichigo was not exactly like Kaien. I thought he had a little of everyone in him. He could be could like Nii-sama if he wanted to be. He could be intelligent like Urahara when the need calls. He could be serious like Hitsugaya when battle plans were discussed. He could be extremely talented in some skills like Gin. But the one thing that calmed us completely, at least about Ichigo, was that he would never leave us._

_We were proved wrong. He left us, dying along with Aizen. He went the same way Kaien did. He sacrificed himself while killing another threat, thinking we would be fine without him. I was almost all the way down the path that told me Ichigo and Kaien were the same, until I realized something. It was such a small detail, nothing that should have convinced me to the other when I was already so far. But I was so far, that any small thing would turn me around._

_Kaien killed the hollow in revenge. He never did it to protect us. That was only another aspect that he may or may not have noticed. Ichigo…he did it only to protect his friends. He allied and befriended Soul Society, who was previously his enemy, to protect us, his friends. Then, when he was friends with Soul Society, he did it to protect them as well. He could have run away at any time. Well, maybe not, since the higher ups would hunt him down, but that's beside the point. The point is the only thing in his mind was to protect us. He sacrificed himself so the threat of Aizen would be gone. He did it to protect us from that maniac, as did so many others, including Ichimaru Gin. But after analyzing their characters, I came to a solid conclusion._

_Kurosaki Ichigo was the exact opposite of Shiba Kaien._

_**Ametsuchi's memory**_

_Ametsuchi POV_

_I felt my mistress fade away, I along with her. But I was strangely happy, for we successfully protected everyone from _him_. But I worry, for _they_ might come back for revenge…_

_If they do, I will make sure our side is prepared._

_

* * *

_

**This turned out longer than I originally planned, so I'm splitting the chapter in half. A look to the future will come in the next chapter!**

**Please review! This is my longest chapter yet, and I worked hard trying to keep the characters believable. Yes, I know they are probably OOC, but I thought that the war and Ichigo's death would change them. As for the flashbacks to before Ichigo died...I did them to the best of my ability. Oh, and I've been meaning to ask, who thinks they know something (not stated in the story) about Ametsuchi?**


	13. Chapter 13

Summary: It's been three years since the end of the war and Kurosaki Ichigo's death. A new reality emerges. Rules are defied and chaos erupts. Who is there to save them this time? Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

**This is technically part 2 of Chapter 12, so it's kind of short. But, I hope you'll take the time to review and tell me what you get from the premonitions. Note: These are unclear flashes of the future of each person. This does not mean the flash will be a part of a fight or some other intense scene. It **_**will**_** be an important moment in that person's life (may not necessarily be in this story, though). Most of the images will be all dialogue, as to describe what will be happening will spoil a few chapters. You'll notice that somehow I'll get a pairing in there.**

Chapter 13

_**Urahara's fate**_

_"KISUKE! Don't you dare die on me or I will send you through Ichigo's bankai five times!"_

_"Re…lax…"_

_**Yoruichi's fate**_

_"Wherever he goes, I go."_

_"But at that cost…just to follow the same path? You can't do that!"_

_"I can and I will, Soi Fon. I love you, I really do…but this was my reasoning when I left Soul Society the first, I _will_ do it again if…"_

_"But he's not gone yet."_

_"Ichigo?"_

_"I can't heal him now, but I can tell he's still hanging on. He has a good chance."_

_"…Thanks."_

_**Hiyori's fate**_

_"What? No way!"_

_"You're only in denial, Hiyori. It's better to just accept it and act."_

_"And what do you know about that?"_

_**Shinji's fate**_

_"It's rather ironic."_

_"What is?"_

_"One of the most powerful known vizards has the ability to reverse the effect…"_

_"…What would you choose?"_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"Would you want to be normal again or stay like this? We might not be accepted even after another war; we definitely weren't the first time around."_

_"Do you know your answer to your own question?"_

_"…Yeah."_

_"Then you already know mine."_

_**Hinamori's fate**_

_"Eh? Shiro-chan?"_

_"Come on, let's take you home."_

_"…"_

_**Hitsugaya's fate**_

_"Let her go."_

_"My, my, aren't you rather demanding? Tsk, and I wanted to fight the genius so much…"_

_"Bankai!"_

_**Uryuu's fate**_

_"I doubt it."_

_"Can you really not look past your resentments toward shinigami?"_

_"…Maybe…someday…"_

_"They have done so much, though."_

_"That's exactly why I hate them."_

_"Then you will come to hate me someday."_

_"…What?"_

_"The unofficial rule that applies to most hate…"_

_**Orihime's fate**_

_"Wha-what?"_

_"It is acceptable if you do not reciprocate the feelings."_

_"…Do you really think me so cold-hearted?"_

_**Chad's fate**_

_"…Goodbye…"_

_**Renji's fate**_

_"Idiot. Did you think I'd let you take all the fun?"_

_"Sometimes I really wonder how far your ability goes."_

_"Heh, you'll never figure it out, Abarai-kun."_

_**Hanatarou's fate**_

_"We need Inoue-san to heal this."_

_"Hai, Yamada-fukutaichou."_

_**Rukia's fate**_

_"Why is it whenever I think something is done and long gone, it comes back to be a pain in the ass?"_

_"You're not the only one."_

* * *

**Yeah, I know. Short and suckish. Too bad, I was considering not even posting a chapter. Why? Because apparently you all are either dead after you read a chapter or have broken fingers. How do I know this? There are at least 50 hits for each chapter, and I only have 28 reviews. Is it just me, or do the numbers seem off? The point is...**

**REVIEW! I DON'T CARE IF IT IS A FLAME, AS LONG AS IT PROVIDES CRITICISM THAT WILL HELP THE STORY OR MY WRITING. NO UNREASONABLE FLAMES!**


End file.
